Sun Apr 06 04:20:05 UTC 2025: ## Kyiv Under Missile Attack After Deadly Strike on Zelenskyy’s Hometown

**Kyiv, Ukraine (April 6, 2025)** – Kyiv came under renewed missile attack early Sunday, just two days after a Russian missile strike killed 18 people, including nine children, in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported explosions in two districts and three injuries, with falling wreckage reported in non-residential areas. Air raid sirens also blared across several Ukrainian regions, including Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Odesa.

The Saturday attack on Kryvyi Rih, one of the deadliest in recent weeks, targeted a residential area near a children’s playground. Seventy-two people were wounded, 12 of them children. President Zelenskyy publicly mourned the children, releasing their names and sharply criticizing the U.S. embassy for a statement he deemed too weak, accusing it of avoiding explicitly blaming Russia. He called the U.S. embassy’s response “unpleasantly surprising” and “weak,” stating they were “afraid to say the word ‘Russian’” in reference to the aggressor. The U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink’s statement simply expressed horror at the attack and called for an end to the war.

Zelenskyy’s criticism comes as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for a partial ceasefire, more than three years into the conflict. Despite Trump’s claims during his re-election campaign that he could resolve the conflict swiftly, his administration has yet to broker a mutually acceptable agreement. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed the strike targeted Ukrainian commanders and Western instructors, a claim the Ukrainian General Staff vehemently denied, accusing Russia of war crimes.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy met with British and French military chiefs on Friday to discuss deploying a joint security contingent to Ukraine once a peace deal is reached. Poland also activated its air force Sunday to protect its airspace following the Russian strikes in western Ukraine. The ongoing attacks underscore the continued intensity of the conflict and the deep divisions in international responses.

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